Sale 1211 — The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 29-30 October, 2019
Category — 1847 Issue—Florida and Territorial Usage
The only recorded cover from Minnesota Territory with the 1847 First General Issue-- an outstanding rarity of the issue and of the classic period in general10¢ Black (2), three large margins, just clear at bottom where there is a minute margin tear at left, manuscript "X" cancel and tied by "Saint Paul Min. Ter. Feb 12" (1851) circular datestamp, struck in an oily greenish blue ink on buff envelope addressed to Jenks & Ogden in Philadelphia
Very Fine--this is the unique use of an 1847 Issue stamp on a cover from Minnesota Territory.
Post Office records show that on February 4, 1851 the postmaster at St. Paul (J. W. Bass) received and signed for 200 5¢ and 1,200 10¢ stamps of the 1847 issue. Eight days later J. Ridgway Jenks, who was a partner in a pharmacy business and the brother of Governor Alexander Ramsey's wife, posted this cover. It is the only known 1847 Issue cover from Minnesota Territory.
Ex Floyd E. Risvold. This cover's discovery was reported by Susan M. McDonald (Chronicle 153, February 1992). Illustrated in The United States 1847 Issue: A Cover Census (p. 283). With 1991 P.F. certificate stating the datestamp is dark blue.
